WMD: In fact, his next move 26...Nd6 looks to be the decisive mistake. 26...Nf6 is much better and Black apparently can hold the game. Best play would appear to be 27.Nxf6 Kxf6 (27...Qxf6 28.Nxh5+!) 28.Qf1+ Ke7 29.Qf7+ Kd6 30.N3e4+ dxe4 31.Qxb7 Qd5 32.Nf7+ Kc5 33.Qc7+ Kb4 34.Qxb6+ Kc4 "and Black's King reaches the safety of d3."(Nunn)

notyetagm: After all of Smyslov's heroic defense, he plays 26 ... ♘d6? and loses to the tactical shot 27 ♘xh5+!, exploiting the <PIN> of the Black g6-pawn to the b1-h7 diagonal (27 ... gxh5?? 28 ♕h7#).

Just like Nimzovich said, <"The defensive power of a pinned piece is merely illusory."> Here the Black g6-pawn is the only Black piece which prevents the threat of ♕b1-h7# by blocking the b1-h7 diagonal. Since this pawn cannot leave that diagonal under penalty of allowing a mate in one, it only pretends to defend the Black h5-pawn (27 ♘xh5+!).

Black's problem is that his g6-pawn is <OVERWORKED>, having to both <DEFEND> the h5-pawn from the threat of ♘g3xh5+ and <BLOCK> the b1-h7 diagonal to meet the threat of ♕b1-h7#.

By playing 26 ... ♘f6!, Black <SHARES THE BURDEN> of his g6-pawn with his knight. The g6-pawn is no longer <OVERWORKED>. The Black g6-pawn <DEFENDS> the h5-pawn while the Black f6-knight <DEFENDS> the h7-mating focal point, i.e., 27 ♘xh5+ gxh5 28 ♕h7+ ♘xh7. Or the Black f6-knight <DEFENDS> the h5-pawn and the g6-pawn <BLOCKS> the b1-h7 diagonal to stop ♕b1-h7#, i.e., 27 ♘xh5+ ♘xh5 and now 28 ♕b1-h7# is not legal since the diagonal is blocked at g6.

Either way since each defending piece (Black g6-pawn, f6-knight) performs only one defensive task, neither is <OVERWORKED>.

backrank: 'A scintillating display of the magical art of Keres. He dazzels his opponent (one of the strongest players in the world) with a bewildering assortment of surprise moves, sacrifices, and Knight forks both threatened and actual.' (Chernev)

'This beautiful game (with its even more beautiful variations!) is a welcome addition to the store of choice combinative masterpieces.' (Reinfeld)

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